This invention relates to a demand-type animal feeding device and in particular to such a device which has means therein for keeping excessive feed from being delivered to the feeding station.
Most domestic animal feeds are subject to spoilage by exposure to the elements, therefore it is normally preferable to keep such feed in an enclosed container until such time as the animal needs to feed. Fortunately most domesticated animals are sufficiently intelligent to demand transfer of feed from a container to a feeding station by actuation of some type of demand means. Animal feeders of this type are commonly used for such animals as hogs, dogs, and even chickens. Unfortunately, many animals, especially those of higher intelligence, enjoy playing with the feed demand actuator, thereby delivering more feed to their feeding station than is actually needed for satisfaction of their hunger. This excessive feed tends to be spoiled by rain and the other elements, scattered from the feeding station and thereby lost, and mixed with animal waste and mud, thereby also causing spoilage thereof. In addition, excessive feed sitting in a feeding station tends to develop a hard cake which enhances rotting and also tends to rust or decay the feeding station.
Hog feeding stations are especially susceptible to the above described problems, since hogs tend to get very bored in their caged environments and are also very intelligent. The hogs are always looking for something to play with. Thus the hogs will actually play with the feed transfer actuator until all such feed has been delivered from the storage compartment to the feeding station, even overflowing the latter. Most attempts to correct this problem previously have centered around trying to make the amount of feed transferred by each actuation of such a transfer very small, thereby requiring a great number of actuations to transfer the feed and discouraging the animal from doing such, unless it is very hungry. Unfortunately, as was stated, hogs actually enjoy this game of pushing the actuator and will continue it for great lengths of time. Therefore, it is desired to find some means of making it increasingly difficult for the animal to actuate the transfer of feed, as feed accumulates in the feeding station.